Hogwarts: The Phantom of the Opera
by PhantomPhanGirl
Summary: The Muggle Studies classes are going to perform a musical, which Dumbledore thinks is a great idea involves the whole school. They're doing Phantom of the Opera! Hermione is cast as Christine, Snape as the Phantom, and Draco as Raoul. Mostly HGSS. R&R!
1. Introduction

**Hogwarts: The Phantom of the Opera**

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world nor the Phantom of the Opera.

AN: Okay, so this is what happened. I know this screenname is PhantomPhanGirl but I had to change it because my brothers found out my other screenname (Aeris921) and they were gonna read my fanfic and stuff and I didn't want them to so in a panic I deleted it. So I'm going to repost this fanfic on this screenname and hope they don't find this one out. Well since I'm reposting, I decided to just rewrite it, because despite that fanfic of mine being my best-written one, I knew there was major room for improvement. I hope you like this rewritten one better, or at least as much as before.

Another AN: This fanfic is AU since Half-Blood Prince came out and will continue to be written to be non-HBP-compliant or DH-compliant.

Yet Another AN: Please don't give me any flames over accuracy to a specific version of the Phantom of the Opera because I plan on taking bits and pieces from many versions and combining them. If you don't like it, I'm sorry, but you don't have to read it :-)

Okay, One Last AN Before We Begin: Please read all Author's Notes. I don't write them just to make the fanfic look longer, they ACTUALLY have stuff I want you to know (Imagine that, lolz). Also, don't write reviews telling me there's too much script in the story and not enough… story. 1.) Trust me when I say there'll be more story and stuff then there was in the old version (so I AM trying here), and 2.) When I started this fanfic way back when, it was my intention to include like the whole script at one point in the story or another. So I _mean_ for there to be a lot of script. But I _do_ agree that there wasn't enough non-rehearsal things last story, I'm changing that so bare with me )

Summary: The 4th-7th year Muggle Studies classes are going to perform a play, which meddling Dumbledore thinks is a great idea and gets involved in it. They're doing Phantom of the Opera! Dumbledore casts Hermione as Christine, Severus as the Phantom (Erik), and Draco as Raoul. (Hermione/Severus with a _litte_ bit of Draco/Hermione but they're more like just acting :grin:)

--EDIT-- 05/12/2007 -- Okay, so it's been like half a year since I've so much as even _looked at_ this fic, and I've just noticed _many_, many things that need changing. Hopefully this'll be a bit of an improvement to what I wrote like over a year ago, haha. --Holy cannoli! There's something wrong in the _very_ first sentence! How has it gone so overlooked???

And now on to the story… Please review!

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**Prologue**

_Leicester, England - 2002_

Hermione Granger looked around her room once more, checking to see if there was anything she was forgetting. She wouldn't want to leave anything behind and risk their plans being messed up by having to apparate back home to retrieve a missing item. Yes, she had their tickets in her purse, plenty of muggle and wizard money, and a camera.

It was their fourth anniversary. They always did the same thing for their anniversary, but Hermione couldn't think of any better way to spend it. Besides, it was really quite fitting.

Hermione looked again in the mirror and gave a wry smile. It was just a normal, ordinary mirror. It didn't even talk back to you like most magical mirrors, let alone open up and lead into an underground labyrinth. _Five whole years_, she mused. Could it really have been that long ago? She could scarcely believe it. It had been five whole years since her life had been changed forever…

She tucked her hair behind her ears. Her looks really hadn't changed much these five years. True, her hair was a bit shorter now, coming to her shoulders rather than the middle of her back like it used to. But the length was probably the only thing that had changed. She had been using self-made shampoos and conditioners since her sixth year at Hogwarts, turning her bushy mass of hair into sleek brown curls.

Hermione wore a simple black turtleneck with a nice pair of jeans. It was casual, comfortable, and elegant all at once. She didn't wear much makeup. Hermione never was one for spending too much time on her looks, but she didn't mind applying some mascara and lipgloss.

Soon she and her husband would apparate to the Majestic Theatre, 247 West 44 Street, New York. They would again see The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway in their normal seats (always the best). They really couldn't help but enjoy watching muggles perform it. It was nearly as spectacular as their own performance…

"Hermione! If we don't go soon we won't get in on time! Are you almost ready?" a voice called from downstairs.

Hermione smiled to herself, "Coming, Severus!"

Yes, Hermione was happily married to one Severus Snape.

How did _that _happen, you wonder?

She looked back fondly. It seemed like just yesterday Dumbledore had informed the school of that year's Muggle Studies project…

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**Chapter 1: Introduction**

_Hogwarts Castle, 1997_

Minutes before dinner was about to begin, the Great Hall was filled with chatter. Meals at Hogwarts were always a big deal because they gave students from all years and houses a chance to converse. However, the usual clamor was even greater on this particular evening.

Hermione caught bits and pieces of conversations as she rushed into the hall past rows of students, to stop behind the seat Ginny had saved for her. She quickly caught her breath, composed herself, and took her seat. It wasn't unusual to see the head girl come to meals just barely on time, arms full of books, and hair in disarray from her mad dash through the school. No doubt she had lost track of time while entrenched in her homework.

"Okay, could someone tell me why I just heard about five different people say 'Muggle Studies' and 'Play' in the same sentence? What's going on here?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"Well _I_ heard from Demelza Robins, who heard from Vicky Frobisher, who has a friend in Ravenclaw whose older sister is taking Muggle Studies, that the seventh year muggle studies class is putting on a play for their end-of-the-year project," Ginny said all in one breath.

"Oh, is that all?" Hermione said, a little disappointed that she had stopped taking Muggle Studies. It sounded like a lot of fun, though hardly important enough to be the topic of everyone's conversations. What business of theirs was it that a largely unpopulated class was putting on a play?

Hermione's thoughts were interrupted when Dumbledore arose from his seat with his hands held up. The talking quickly died down.

"As it seems, rumors spread like wildfire around this school," he smiled good-naturedly. "Though, I suppose from an optimistic point of view one could say it goes to show how close we all are here at Hogwarts, a unity that will undoubtedly serve us well in the end."

Harry looked gloomily at his friends. Really, could they not sit down to dinner and enjoy a meal without mention of the war against Voldemort? It was all rather depressing.

"For those of you who have not already heard, our Muggle Studies teacher, Professor Bailey, has proposed the idea of the Muggle Studies students performing a musical for their seventh year class project. Naturally I thought it was a _splendid_ idea and decided we ought to include the whole school! I presented the idea to the rest of the staff and, well, _most _of them," here the headmaster stopped and looked pointedly at Professor Snape, who scowled in response, "agreed with me."

"All students and staff interested in being a part of the production should stay in the Great Hall after dinner for more information. Ah yes, and might I add that this opportunity is only available for students fourth year and up." Many of the younger students groaned with disappointment. "As for incentive, the participants will not be required to take the end-of-year exams… Now, I believe that's everything." With a wave of his hand, the plates and goblets all filled with food and drink along the tables.

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. All of Hogwarts would be performing a musical! Why it must be, though she made a mental note to confirm this with _Hogwarts, A History_, the _first_ time ever that such an event has occurred! Hermione had loved musicals for as long as she could remember. She had even asked her parents if she could take voice lessons after they had taken her to see _The Music Man_. Perhaps the lessons would finally pay off and she could get cast in minor role. Or maybe she could play her violin in the orchestra pit or sing in the chorus. Either way, she would definitely need to find out more… Which play would they be doing? How could such a wide-scale event be organized effectively? Where would the performance take place?

A voice broke through her thoughts. "What do you think of this whole play business? D'you reckon you'll try to get a part in it?" Ron asked the group after washing his food down with some pumpkin juice.

"I don't know, it definitely sounds interesting... Worth looking into, in any case. Not to mention we get off taking exams…" Harry said.

Hermione showed more enthusiasm, "I think it's a brilliant idea! Just_ imagine_ us being involved in such a production! Maybe we'll all get parts together!"

Nearby at the head table, however, someone was clearly displeased. Severus Snape glanced around the Great Hall in disgust. The room was positively buzzing with excitement. He admittedly had an interest in muggle theatre and drama, but there was _nothing_ this school could do to pull off a good musical. Their undoubtedly mediocre performance would be an insult to the person who wrote the play. He sighed dejectedly. No doubt the Headmaster would drag him into this whole thing.

As if on cue, Dumbledore piped in, "Severus, dear boy, how would you like-"

"No," he cut him off.

"Oh come now, I daresay you'd enjoy it immensely."

This comment earned him a raised eyebrow from the surly professor. "Severus, you need to get out of those dungeons once in a while, and I think this will be a great opportunity for you."

"An opportunity to what? Make myself look like a buffoon? _No thank you_," his lip curled in distaste.

"Severus, I _know_ you can sing… Very well, in fact."

He ignored the compliment. "I wouldn't willingly get up on stage and sing with this lot of talentless dunderheads if it was a matter of life and _death_," he declared vehemently. And then he realized his mistake. He had said "_willingly_".

Dumbledore sighed, "I was trying to be nice about this Severus, but I can see it's no use. I have no choice but to make it a requirement for all Hogwarts staff to be involved."

His expression regained its usual lightheartedness. "Besides, I have the perfect role in mind for you," he said slyly before abruptly ending the conversation with an "I'll see you after dinner then.". And with that, the Headmaster turned away from Snape and began chatting animatedly with McGonagall on the other side of him, leaving no room for Severus's input

Severus stared at him. The headmaster didn't _honestly_ expect him to have an acting role onstage, front and center, did he?… '_No, surely not…Barmy old codger_'_…_ he thought furiously at the Headmaster's back.

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AN: So… How'd you guys like it? Better? Worse than before? I was going to wait until I had more chapters done for me to post it (I hate disappointing you guys with a long wait for the next chapter, and it's just to hard and stressful to get them out quickly, not to mention the quality of the work isn't as good) but I decided to go ahead and post it since I posted my other story on Aeris921. I mean you guys have probably noticed by now that I took the old version of this story off and I doubt you were happy about it, and then all of the sudden you may have gotton an email alert saying I wrote a new story, with still no word about what happened to the old one. I wouldn't like it if that happened to me, so I'm sorry and that's why I'm posting this now. But I do want to thank Natsuyori (At least, there may have been others, but I just recognized her as a faithful reviewer of my old one of this fic) for the nice review of my other story. I appreciate it when people take the time to read and review my work, even when it's not all that great. (Still no grade back from my teacher on it yet u.u) 


	2. The Meeting After Dinner

**Hogwarts: The Phantom of the Opera**

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera and I doubt any of my schemes to acquire the ownership of them will work, so you'll just have to settle with the fact that you can't sue me.

AN: Um, wow, actually I think I covered everything last chapter O.o Yeah… er… on with the story then

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**Chapter 2: The After-Dinner Meeting **

When dinner was over, the younger students were ushered out of the Great Hall along with any of the older students who didn't wish to participate. Surprisingly, the Great Hall was left with not much less than half of what previously occupied it.

Dumbledore cleared his throat as the hall quieted. "It would appear that we have quite the turnout. How many of you would still be here if I removed the incentive of not taking exams, I wonder?"

Protests filled the room, but the Headmaster merely chuckled. "I'm only joking," he said. "First things first. The musical we will be performing shall be The Phantom of the Opera."

The effect of those words on the hall was immediate. The students talked and speculated amongst themselves as Dumbledore tried to restore order to the Great Hall.

"Because," he said loudly, in effort to draw their attention back to him, "we will be doing a musical, we will hold preliminary singing auditions for those who wish to have a singing part onstage. The way this will work is you will go into a room with no one but myself as the judge. I will then pick songs that you know and you will sing them to the best of your ability. Next, I shall write down your scores and you can come back the next day to see if you have progressed to the next level.

"In the next round, I will pair you up with other people that passed and you can sing a duet based on the songs you both know. This helps me see how well you can sing with other people. To do well in this audition you can't overpower the person you're singing with, you can't get confused by their different singing part, and you have to sing at approximately the same tempo. You will be scored on that and it will help determine if you can sing songs that have duets. Whether you pass this round or not, you will come back the next day for the final round to decide which role you get, if you get one at all.

"The following day, you will put on the sorting hat, which will sort you into your roles according to which character it feels you are most suited to play. Factors that contribute to the hat's decision include physical appearance, personality, situations in life, and compatibility with other characters. There is no changing the hat's decision, because it truly knows what's best for you and the success of the play. I will then be given the cast list to put on the bulletin board outside the Great Hall the next day.

"Unfortunately, we cannot have all your lovely faces onstage. We need people to play in the orchestra, as well as people to help make costumes, and do other important backstage things. Whomever has at least three years experience at playing an instrument, and does not greatly wish to try for an acting role, would you please gather in the back right corner of the hall. Professor McGonagall will have you write down your name, house, year, and the instrument you play. None of the arrangements made today will be permanent. For example, if we don't have enough male ballet dancers, we may extract a few from the orchestra if we are able to spare them in our ensemble. Auditions for chair placement will be held in due time. More information on that is to come… when we actually have a date.

"In ballet, dance, and chorus, we will likely start by teaching the very basics, so it is not required to have ay previous experience. However, we are sure you'll find it would be easier to do well if you've had at least some kind of exposure to dance. All we ask is that you're open-minded, hard-working, and… well, flexible," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "If you would like to learn ballet and other forms of dancing, please go to the front left corner of the hall, where Professor Sinistra will be waiting to write down your names." Surprisingly, almost thirty students moved forward.

"The students that wish to sing but not act should consider joining the chorus. Chorus will sing in songs like Masquerade, Prima Donna, Don Juan Triumphant, and others that aren't solos or duets. Some members of the chorus will sing onstage and some will sing offstage. To find out more information, see Professor Vector in the front right corner of the room.

"And now, last but not least, the more complex backstage drama department. It is your job to learn and provide the necessary spells and charms to change lighting, make and move settings, buy or create props, and make costumes. As you can see, there are many different parts to this and it will all be sorted out at the next meeting. For now, just move over to the back left corner and write your names down with Professor Flitwick.

Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Draco, Harry, Ron, and many other students were left standing in the middle of the room. Hermione had decided that she'd try to get an acting role, but she was fine with the Chorus or Orchestra if she didn't make it. Ginny looked at her and the boys reassuringly. '_It would be so fun_,' Hermione thought, '_if we all got parts in it! How exciting!_'

"I assume that everyone left wants to audition for main roles? Oh yes, and let's not forget that the members of the staff are required to participate, so if you will also go to whichever field you wish to join," Dumbledore announced. "And of course, I will be the director, which is it's own field entirely," he grinned.

Hermione frowned as Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall stayed where they were. '_Surely they aren't thinking of trying out…?_' She chuckled to herself, '_But who could imagine Snape singing?_'

"Professor Snape, if you would be so kind as to hand those out to the people in the middle," Dumbledore inquired, beaming at Severus's obvious displeasure.

Severus snarled but took the stack of paper, walked to the middle of the room, and thrust a paper into each person's hand.

"As you will see, the paper you are being given describes each of the main characters that you can try out for. Oh yes, be sure to keep one for yourself, Severus," Dumbledore smirked as Severus was about to set the extras down on a table. Severus growled and snatched the one off the top and glared at the parchment as if it had done something highly offensive. Dumbledore's smile only widened.

"For those who are unfamiliar with the Phantom of the Opera, Christine Daae is the lead female role. She is a young chorus girl who is secretly being tutored in opera singing by an unknown figure. Erik, the Phantom, is this man, whom Christine believes to be an Angel of Music. Another main male role is Viscount Raoul de Chagny, Christine's 'childhood sweetheart.' Other roles are Christine's best friend, another ballet dancer, Meg; as well as the Opera House's lead female soprano: the diva, La Carlotta. All of these, and more, are listed in greater detail on that sheet of paper. If there is anybody that did not get one, there will be a stack here so you can grab one after this meeting.

"For those of you that do get an acting role, you will be required to come to all rehearsals. If you are sick or injured, you will not be required to participate that day, but you _must_ be there. We have a lot to do and not very much time to do it. This acting field will have rehearsals every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, after dinner from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm. When we get far enough along, we'll combine rehearsals with other departments. Everybody else will need to see their leaders about what times and places rehearsals will be.

"Which reminds me, I haven't yet told you who your leaders are. Professor Lisa Dowd, if you would please stand up so the students will know you."

A pretty, young witch with short brown hair stood up and waved at the students, who applauded politely.

"She is a temporary teacher here to assist us with drama. She will appoint backstage students to different jobs such as House Manager and Crew, Props Manager and Crew, Stage Manager and Crew, and more. She will also be working with the main actors. You'll be doing activities to help you get better into your characters and play them more believably. She is going to be a big help and I expect you all to treat her with as much respect as you would give your other professors. That goes for all the guest teachers as well.

"Now if I may introduce the guest orchestra director that will be staying. Because the muggle world is so much more advanced in art and music than the wizarding world is, Professor Douglas Armstrong has been teaching band at a muggle high school in the United States. He received a teacher of the year award for the whole state of Virginia and will surely lead our orchestra to tremendous success. Please welcome Professor Armstrong."

The students applauded and the orchestra cheered as a handsome middle-aged man stood up. He had a rather red complexion, and it was hard to tell if he was the type of teacher that was very strict or very fun. But he smiled and nodded in acknowledgement before once again taking his seat.

"Mrs. Audrey Jennings will instuct you on ballet and dance while Mrs. Wendy Wills will teach Chorus. I will mostly be leading the actors, but depending on which role you play, you will have singing, dancing, and acting classes right along with our rehearsals."

"Let me say a few words to wrap up this meeting. This production will definitely require a lot of work. If you think it's too much for you to handle, then please tell either myself or Professor McGonagall, and we'll be happy to take you off our rosters. Afterall, your schoolwork really is your top priority. If you're making bad grades in the class, we can and will give your part to other willing and able students."

Dumbledore's expression softened, "But I really think we can pull together a fantastic performance that will be unforgettable. I've seen Hogwarts do many great things when it unites in one great cause. I know that we can do this. Please keep thinking about what you want to do in this play. Also, do not forget that next Friday after dinner is the first round of auditions. I wish you all a pleasant evening and I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning at breakfast!"

As the hall emptied out, Hermione had only one thing on her mind: '_I've got to get to the library as soon as I can. The more I know about this play, the better prepared I can be._'

Little did she know that a certain Potions Master had the exact same thing in mind…

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AN: Phew, Second Chapter is finally out. I'm posting this now, only like 15 minutes after I finished it (:winces:) which means that it hasn't been so thoroughly edited and revised (:grumbles:). Oh well, I'll just have to work on it once it's posted. You know why I'm posting as soon as I can (even though my schedule makes it evilly difficult to work it)? So I can get more reviews and feedback from you guys! C'mon now, don't make all my efforts be in vain! And what about you guys that have my story on favourites or alerts but you don't bother to review? Yes, I know who you are, I check often enough to see (Yeah… speaking of vain.. :coughcough:). But I suppose I'm guilty of that too (:sighs:). Just keep in mind that I LOVE hearing from you guys, okay? And now to answer those wonderful people that DID review (:cough**AHEM**cough:)

NKB: Hehe, thanks for the offer. I definitely wouldn't mind if you destroyed my brothers… right evil mean buggers…

AIMEE: Buuuuuuut homework is evil!

Rotten Pineapples: Thanks so much for your review. I'm reeeeally trying to make this better than the old story. Bleh, I know this chapter was pretty boring, but it tells you the basics about the stuff and what's going to happen. This was pretty much just a big filler chapter. I probably expanded on it more than I needed to, but my last fanfic just seemed so lame because they all seemed to know what to do without anybody telling them it. So I figured this would make it a bit more realistic. And let's face it, reality's not too interesting u.u Well about the prologue: No, it wasn't in the original fanfic. But I rather like it (:grins:) It rather reminds me of how there's a prologue in the Phantom of the Opera play, and how it starts off in the future and goes back in time I'll probably have a little epilogue thing that's from the future too… If I ever get that far… hehe P.S. Go Snape Loyalists! Haha

Requiem of a Dream: Thank you sooooo much for your sincere apology, but really, it was unnecessary. I mean, sure, at first I was a bit thrown off by the likeness of our stories, but as I read more, I realized they were really quite different. So really, don't feel the need to change anything. I like it. And as we both continue to write our fanfics and get further along, we may see it could end up totally different. But really thank you for apologizing anyway. It means a lot to me that you care so much about our fanfics.

mr snibbles: Hehe, thanks for reviewing. If you like mine, you may want to check out Requiem of a Dream's fanfic, as well as Phantom of Hogwarts on Ashwinder. P.S. I noticed that a few months ago; isn't it awesome? XD


	3. The Preparations

**Hogwarts: The Phantom of the Opera**

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter or Phantom of the Opera and I doubt any of my schemes to acquire the ownership of them will work, so you'll just have to settle with the fact that you can't sue me.

AN: Sorry I haven't updated in forever. No, I haven't abandoned this fanfic. I've spent far too much time on it to stop completely. Well at least it's summer, eh? I mean, I had a really busy school life; one thing after another, there simply wasn't enough time to think of updating this. But this is the second week of summer, so there's really no excuse, and I'm reeeeeeally really sorry. One thing you'll notice is I'm more of a sporadic updater. When I plan to update, I normally don't, and when I have no intention of updating is when I suddenly think "You know what, I wanna write the next chapter." So um, just check your email for my update alert like once every three months and you'll be fine :-) Once every 3 months is pretty pathetic, though. My apologies, I promise to do better this time around!

AN2: Also, there was a bit of confusion in the last chapter. The guest teachers are not muggles. Like the Professor Armstrong character, he's a wizard that has a muggle job because muggles are more advanced in music than the wizarding world is. I mean, not ALL magic folk live in the wizarding world. Some like muggle jobs better, don't you think? Now for the next chapter!

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**Chapter 3: The Preparations**

Hermione figured she still had a few more hours until she had to retire to the Gryffindor Common Room, which gave her enough time to look for good books on the Phantom of the Opera. She had an awful lot of homework, but this couldn't wait another day if she was to try and get a head start.

She gave a wry smile. If the boys knew she was putting something like this before homework, of all things, they would say they were being a bad influence on her. She turned the corner of the corridor. But why should it be so unbelievable that she actually had a personality behind her books and cleverness? She had wants, fears, interests, and desires. She had passions in life besides learning. She was just as much a human as the rest of them. At that Hermione snorted, thinking of Harry and Ron's eating manners in particular, '_Well now, then again, perhaps _more_ of a human in some cases…_'

Over the past few summers her parents had been paying for singing lessons, as well as violin lessons. She had gotten quite good at both of them, she had to admit. Her music had become very important to her, and her friends had absolutely no idea, Hermione thought with a twinge of regret. If she could only get an acting role in the upcoming play, then maybe her friends and classmates would see she wasn't so different from them.

'_Being smart and caring about your grades doesn't make you any less interesting, does it? I mean, just because I don't involve myself in all the silly little teenage dramas doesn't mean I can't be a fun, right?'_ Hermione tried to assure herself.

Every time she saw Lavender sulking in the girls' dormitory from having yet another bad break-up with a boyfriend, Hermione felt glad that she wasn't mixed up in any of that. She had two very good friends, her books and her studies, and sometime later in life maybe there might be some time for a love life. She _did_ feel fairly confident that she _could_ get a boyfriend if she actually wanted one. Handfuls of boys had asked her each year since her fifth year, but Hermione wasn't interested in any of them.

There was nothing astoundingly pretty about her, but her hair _had_ gotten a lot better over the years. She no longer had a frizzy mound of hair but instead big, thick curls rolled halfway down her back. It was still very heavy and hard to manage, but it looked a lot prettier, and she had found certain ways to pull it back to minimize the effect and balance it out. Her eyebrows had been neatly plucked and shaped, giving her face a more feminine look, and she had started to wear mascara to really bring out her bright brown eyes, which it could be agreed were one of her better features. But Hermione really didn't feel like she needed any more makeup than that. In the end, the only one she had to impress was herself. The makeup didn't change anything.

But it was her seventh and final year at Hogwarts and everywhere she looked, she seemed to find happy couples amongst her friends and classmates. Whenever she saw Ginny and Harry sitting together, curled up on the couch in the common room talking, she couldn't help but feel a pang of… what? Jealousy? She shook her head to get rid of that train of thought. After all, she was perfectly happy as she was, wasn't she? She didn't need a boy to make her feel special. In fact, she highly doubted any boy she knew really could.

In the end she was just Hermione Granger. Hardly a change in her life, she kept the same easy-going routine. But since it _was_ her last year, she felt she needed to make _some_ kind of change. The past six years had passed by in a blur. It seemed more important now than it ever was to stop and take the time to smell the roses. She wanted to—no, she _needed_ to make the most of her last year of Hogwarts.

When she finally entered the library, she had a small smile on her lips, thinking of her resolution. Regardless of any changes she might make, she knew what would always be the same to her: this library. Countless afternoons she had spent pouring over the thick tomes, trying to fill her insatiable desire for all the knowledge of the subjects that interested her most. Hermione could finally relax more than she could have hoped to anywhere else. Anything she needed to know, she could find in here, and she felt confident that information on The Phantom of the Opera was not excluded. She nodded a greeting to Madam Pince behind her desk as she continued to the left side of the library.

Hermione began her search, looking at titles of books on the shelves towering over her. She found several good factual books about the play and the different versions of the production. She was also happy to find sheet music and a sound recording. She figured it couldn't hurt to check out the novel itself, either.

'_Leroux… Leroux… Gaston Leroux… Aha, there it is,'_ She thought, standing on her toes with her arms outstretched reaching for it. It was _just_ beyond her fingertips. She spent a few moments more waving her arm and jumping, trying to get closer, but it was no use. Just as she was about to give up and use her wand, a long black-sleeved arm reached out and easily plucked it off of the shelf.

Hermione jumped back surprised, barely suppressing a squeal of fright.

"A little jumpy tonight, aren't we, Miss Granger?" Snape smirked at her as she glowered at him. "And what do we have here?" he continued reading the cover, "The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Of course. I should have known at the first mention of a play the know-it-all would dash to the library in hopes of being one step ahead of all the other students."

"And what's wrong with taking the initiative to find out more information than is given?" she challenged.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all…" he said, his eyes gleaming with the pleasure of frustrating her, "it just shows your ignorance on the matter to begin with. Perhaps you haven't considered that maybe the other students aren't going to the library because they already know all about the Phantom of the Opera and you're one of the few who don't…" he said silkily.

Hermione snorted. "It surprises me that _you,_ of all people, would be giving the student body _that _much credit. But if I am, as you say, one of the only few who aren't well-informed in the area of muggle drama and literature, why would I find _you_ in _this_ section of the library?"

"Not that it's any of your _business_, but I came here for… Shakespeare," he said with a sneer once he thought of something believable. "Ah, but of course, Shakespeare is unlikely something you're familiar with. I wouldn't expect you to appreciate—"

"_These words are razors to my wounded heart_," she interrupted, quoting dramatically. "Believe it or not, _sir_, but I am quite well-versed in Shakespeare… _Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty_…"

He looked at her calculatingly before finally muttering, "Hmph. _The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool._ You Gryffindors have always been proud… and with nothing to pride yourself in either."

Hermione scowled, "Don't you have something better to do than insult me and degrade my house? As much as I'm sure you're enjoying yourself, I find it doubtful you sought me out for your bullying pleasures."

"_Enjoying _insulting my students? I haven't the faintest idea what you could be talking about, Miss Granger," Snape said, his eyes positively glinting with malicious amusement, "Why, that's like accusing me of enjoying taking points away from Gryffindor!" He smirked. Honestly, this man was insufferable. "But you're right in that I _do_ have better things to do. Enduring your presence for any longer than is absolutely necessary would have to be the polar opposite of what I _want_ to be doing tonight." He held the book out for her to take. She grabbed it roughly from his hands, making no attempt to hide her irritability at his rude comments.

"Thank you," Hermione said curtly, collecting her bags and continuing down the row of shelves. She stopped at the end and turned to face him. "Oh, and by the way, if you really _are_ looking for Shakespeare, it's four aisles in _that_ direction," she said pointing to her left with a smirk. "Good day." She turned on her heel and walked away briskly.

Severus watched the girl go to check out her books and leave the library, a small smile playing at his lips. He really wasn't quite sure what to make of the girl—no, woman, he corrected himself. She had... changed... and it had taken him until now to realize it. Seven years had gone by in a flash and after this one Hermione Granger would never darken his doorway again. She was certainly very bright, and a voracious reader, much like himself. She excelled in all her classes and didn't participate in all the juvenile activities of her peers.

It was amazing what adolescence could do to a child. She had an awkward start. Her looks and personality combined didn't help her much in her social life. She was landed with Potter and Weasley by way of an unfortunate incident involving a mountain troll. Funny how things like that seem to work out… She wasn't the same as the other girls, and had a hard time fitting in. Seven years later and all she had managed to do was irk him. But the conversation they just had was interesting. Could he really continue to see her as just a particularly annoying student?

It was hard to find people intelligent enough to engage in a verbal spar with, but she had proved to be a worthy adversary. Of course, he would have to get her back for that last comment. He shook his head in disbelief. So she had known all along what he was really there for…

He reached up on the shelf and found a second copy of The Phantom of the Opera. A few minutes later the library was deserted once more.

---------

Hermione walked out of the library in an undoubtedly worse mood than she was when she went in. Professor Snape seemed to have that effect on people. Not that their conversation wasn't sort of entertaining, because it was… There was no way she could get into that kind of exchange of wits with either Ron or Harry… or _any_ of the students for that matter. She grinned. She wished she could have seen the look on his face after her last comment. He must have been looking for Phantom of the Opera information too, and she had made sure he knew that she had him figured out. Hermione chuckled to herself.

'_But really!_' her mood changed sharply, reflecting over just how he had treated her, '_There was no need to insult me! _Especially_ when he was doing the exact same thing! Oh what an awful hypocrite. That man can be so infuriating!_'

She continued walking to the Gryffindor Common Room, and muttered the password to the portrait of the fat lady. She stepped into the common room and went to sit down by the fire next to Ginny and the boys.

"I've just been to the library and I checked out some good books that ought to help us with our auditions. I also got sound recordings of the version with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford, as well as the version with Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler. Ginny, could you go get your Wizard's Wireless, please?"

"Mhmm," Ginny nodded and ran upstairs to the dormitory. She returned several moments later with the small device.

Hermione opened the CD case and put the Phantom of the Opera CD in the Wizard's Wireless.

Hermione pressed 'Play' and everyone in the common room jumped as the overture blasted through the speakers.

(AN: Haha, am I the only one that's done this? I swear that overture gets me every time. I always forget to turn it down beforehand and it's so _loud_! XD Another thing, I know Wizard's Wireless is more like a radio, but I couldn't find anything else on the lexicon saying something similar to a CD player, so I figured this would do. And I also know that this story takes place before the 2004 movie version of PotO even came out, but I'm the author so what I say goes :-D)

They quickly turned it off to stop the sudden loud noise. "Ginny! Why do you have the volume turned up so high?" Hermione berated the girl.

"Sorry, sorry! I just like to listen to my music really loud… I was _going_ to warn you…"

Hermione turned the volume dial down halfway and pressed the button again. This time the theme song came on still as strong and powerful as the first time, but at half the volume.

The small group stared in awe at the wizarding wireless.

A minute later, however, Ron, who had very little appreciation for classical or opera music, spoke his opinion, "This is getting boring. Where's the singing?"

"Shush," Ginny hissed, "I think it's almost over. See, listen…"

"This trooooooooooooooooooooooophy from our saviors, from our saaaaaaaaaaviors---" The wizarding wireless sounded.

Ron blanched, "You can't be serious. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."

Hermione shot him an angry look just as Neville walked over. "Hey guys, mind if I join you?"

"Sure," they all nodded in agreement. He spotted the CD covers on the table. "Oh wow! Is that the Phantom of the Opera! Awesome! Whose is it?"

"Hermione got it from the library," Harry said.

Neville beamed at her, "What a fantastic idea! So does that mean you all hope to get parts in it?"

"We dunno. I'd like to think we'd all get acting roles, but they're quite limited. I'm interested in auditioning anyway." Ginny said and everyone nodded and murmured in agreement.

Neville sat down. "I know I may not seem the type to enjoy getting up on stage in front of everyone, but theatre is a sort of hobby of mine, so I want to try my shot at it."

"So, who's the bloke singing right now?" Ron questioned as the voice rang out from the small machine.

"_Sad to return to find the lands weeee loooooove threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching grasp…"_

"Let's see," Hermione said, opening her Complete Guide to the Phantom of the Opera, and turning to the back where the script was located. "Sad to return… Ah. That was Piangi who is… the lead male singer in the opera, opposite La Carlotta."

"She was the one just singing?" Ginny asked.

"Mhmm."

Harry did a low whistle to show he was impressed.

"Haha, whoever gets the part will need to have a bigger lung capacity than a tuba-player," Ron said with a grin as Hermione glared.

"No one asked your opinion, Ronald."

"Who said I needed to be asked to give an opinion?" Ron shot up angrily.

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," Hermione retorted coolly.

He sat back down grumbling. "I always hated it when mum said that…" 

Ginny stifled a giggle.

"So what song is next?" Neville asked, trying to bring the conversation back to the CD and end the quarreling.

"It's called 'Think of Me'…"

The night continued on in that manner, the group listened to the CD while Harry would occasionally jump up and try to mimic the opera singers, much to the amusement of everyone gathered around.

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AN: So. Was it worth the wait? XD I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I really am! I've had this chapter written for ages but I thought it was only half-written because I had expected to write more, but then looking at it now I realized I had a good ending-point already so I might as well post it :-P I think my revision process actually TAKES this long. I swear the past few months I would read this chapter over and over and _over_ again, but I would only make a few changes here and there each time, and then I look at it today and BAM! I add like a whole other page worth of content throughout the story and I'm finally satisfied with it XD I don't know what my problem is, I really don't :-D But hey, quality over quantity, right? Thank you everyone for being patient and reviewing. I hope, no matter how long it takes me to update, that you won't completely give up on this fanfic. If I care about this story enough to completely revamp it, I doubt I'm going to leave it incomplete.

Messages to my lovely reviewers (Some, not all, if you're not listed here, I'm sorry but know your review was also appreciated :-)) :

Zealous Writer: I hope I answered your questions ) Sorry It wasn't very clear last chapter. Lolz about your nieces though XD I certainly know what that's like. Thanks for reviewing :-)

kumikoblue: You're _totally_ right. I must say that's one of my biggest weaknesses as a writer. I hope I did a bit better on this chapter though. Thanks for the constructive criticism, I need it

Meneyavewen: Thank you so much for the kind review. I'm glad you like it and I hope you continue to read and review. Lovely rose btw :-D

Karen: :giggles madly: I love your reviews XD Especially the "On to the next chapter!" rofl.

Lone Angel: Thanks so much for caring enough to actually look for this fic XD I seriously hope it's better than the last time I wrote it. I must say I'm much happier with it, but I really have no idea what I'm doing with it. This stuff I'm adding in is just what comes to mind as I'm writing XD Like in Chapter 2 the last line was "Little did she know that a certain Potions Master had the exact same thing in mind…" Well, after I updated and realized what I wrote, I was like "Oh crap, now I have to think of a library scene for Chapter 3... I wasn't expecting _that_... O.o"

frodoschick: Hmm, no, I haven't read yours yet I think I will, though, Thanks for telling me about it )

99PENDRAGON99: Um... Sorry? Lolz, I know, I know, Harry would make a better Raoul, I'm sorry. But I simply don't like Harry/Hermione. It's tolerable, sure, but I think they're so much better off as friends. Hermione/Draco is different And hey, Draco as Raoul, it could happen. They're both snobby rich boys, right? Haha, no, I exaggerate, I know, but I'm not changing it.

The Dragon Sorceress: Lolz! That's pretty cool Well I hope you keep reading. I AM continuing this

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Review! I'll update faster! Please:-) 


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